Sensors may be used for a variety of purposes in a variety of manufacturing processes. Examples of such sensors include proximity sensors. Proximity sensors may be provided in a variety forms, including capacitive, inductive, photoelectric, magnetic, etc. Some such sensors are used to detect the presence of items, the configuration of items, and/or other properties of items as the items travel along a line in a manufacturing process. In some instances, at least part of the sensor comes into contact with the items as the items pass by the sensor. Such repeated contact may eventually wear on the sensor, affecting the length of the working life of the sensor. While a variety of sensors have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior to the inventor(s) has made or used an invention as described herein.
The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it is contemplated that various embodiments of the invention may be carried out in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.